In this 1xBet Review, we will tell you about the most striking episodes of the 74th All-Star Game of the world’s strongest basketball league.
New format
On December 17, the NBA announced a radical change to the All-Star Game format. Previously, the league’s main show featured two teams representing the Western and Eastern Conferences, named after outstanding modern players, such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant. For many years, the best NBA players gathered in one place to play a standard match of four 12-minute quarters, but without regard for defense. Thus, this bright and spectacular game was of an exhibition nature.
In 2025, the NBA All-Star Game is a mini-tournament with 4 teams, consisting of 2 semi-finals and a final. The match winner is the team that scores 40 points first. The division of NBA All-Star Game participants by conference is a thing of the past. Now the teams are formed according to a different principle:
- The Global Stars team
- The Originals (the OGs) team
- The Young Stars team
- The Rising Stars team.
Since the duration of the All-Star Game has been significantly reduced, the current rosters included not 14 basketball players but 8, of which 3 came on the floor from the bench.
The players were selected by NBA icons: Charles Barkley selected the Global stars, Shaquille O’Neal – the OGs, Kenny Smith – the Young Stars, and Candace Parker – the Rising Stars. The legends became honorary managers of their teams: Team Chuck, Team Shaq, Team Kenny, and Team Candace.
The teams were led by the best coaches in the Western and Eastern Conferences as of mid-January – Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers). Daigneault coached the Global Stars, and Atkinson coached the OGs. Dave Bliss, an assistant to Mark Daigneault, worked with the Young Stars, and Jordan Ott, an assistant to Kenny Atkinson, worked with the Rising Stars.
In the semi-finals, experienced players met with young players and deservedly won:
- Team Shaq v Team Candace 42-35
- Team Chuck v Team Kenny 41-32.
Just as customers do not have 1xBet deposit problems, OG’s had no problems in the match against Global Stars – the final ended with a 41-25 score.
NBA All-Star Game without LeBron James
For the first time since 2004, LeBron James did not play in the NBA All-Star Game. The Los Angeles Lakers star was selected to the All-Star Game for the 21st time in a row, but the 40-year-old veteran felt discomfort in his foot and ankle the day before the match, forcing him to miss the game.
Alperen Şengün and Victor Wembanyama make their NBA All-Star Game debuts
Among the 15 adult participants of the NBA All-Star Game, there were only two debutants. Alperen Şengün and Victor Wembanyama played for the first time in the company of recognized stars, although the Houston Rockets Turkish center spent only 19 seconds on the court and did not make a single useful action. However, the San Antonio Spurs French center, on the contrary, became the most productive player on the losing team. One of the tallest basketball players in the NBA scored 11 points and made 3 rebounds.
Stephen Curry – 2025 NBA All-Star Game MVP
Stephen Curry played in his 11th NBA All-Star Game and was named the event’s MVP for the second time. In 2022, the Golden State Warriors point guard was named MVP of the game in Cleveland, and on February 16, 2025, Steph became MVP on the court of his home Chase Center. Curry scored 12 points, all thanks to his signature 3-point shots.
